In the field of self-propelled irrigation, pivoting extensions are commonly used in order to “bend” or turn a portion of the irrigation assembly at an angle in order to irrigate more acres than can be irrigated with a standard pivot. Such an irrigation system couples a main section assembly to an extension section assembly. The irrigation system is configured to allow the extension section assembly to pivot about the main section assembly to irrigate areas otherwise unavailable due to obstructions.
In bending pivot irrigation systems, significant angular forces are often applied to drive units and, in particular, to stopped (bending) drive units due to the pulling forces from the drive units outside of the stopped drive unit. Often, the forces applied to the drive units by the extension section assembly can cause the stopped drive unit(s) to be pulled over. Other forces such as gusting winds or uneven ground can also create or add to the hazard of turning over a drive unit.
To solve this problem, the prior art includes techniques such as manually tying a chain or brace to a drive unit in order to prevent the drive unit from being pulled over. These techniques require significant time to deploy and they are often too slow to use against rapidly developing wind gusts and storms. Further, they do not provide a sufficient counter balance for the drive units. An example anchoring technique is shown in U.S. Pub No. 2015/121770 to Korus.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an alternative to the current anchoring systems known in the prior art. The present invention overcomes prior art shortcomings by accomplishing this critical objective.